Enums

For the Tourline email, I needed to parse an FM CVS Export file. First, I split up the fields with a "split" function...

         //First, make sure any old files are cleaned up.
         System.IO.File.Delete(m_strOutFile);

         //Ask FM to generate the new file
         Utils.Tools.RunFMScript("Shipments.fp5", "TourlineExport");
         Utils.Tools.WaitForFMGenerateFile(m_strOutFile, 120);
         System.IO.TextReader reader = null;
         try
         {
             if (System.IO.File.Exists(m_strOutFile))
             {
                 reader = System.IO.File.OpenText(m_strOutFile);
                 while (reader.Peek() > -1)  {
                     string strLine = reader.ReadLine();
                     if (strLine.Length > 0 && '"' == strLine[0])
                         strLine = strLine.Substring(1);
                     if (strLine.Length > 0 && '"' == strLine[strLine.Length - 1])
                         strLine = strLine.Substring(0, strLine.Length - 1);
                     string[] splitter = { "\",\"" };
                     string[] shipmentLines = strLine.Split(splitter, StringSplitOptions.None);

To index into shipmentLines, I started doing the following...

       const int k_shipmentID = 0;
       const int k_invoiceID = 1;
       const int k_title = 2;
       const int k_firstNames = 3;
       const int k_surname = 4;

...but quickly realized that it was hard to maintain (if the needed fields change, or the number of fields change - whatever). Therefore, I started using enums

        enum FMFields
        {
            ShipmentID, InvoiceID, Title, FirstNames, Surname, Street, Street2,
            Town, City, County, Country, PostalCode, StrUnfoInfo, InvoiceTotal, ScannedStatus,
            DateScanned
        };

Much nicer, and easier to maintain - and less typing to boot! Note that I use the .NET convention of capitalizing both the enum name and the names of the members.